Method of spinning textile fibers

ABSTRACT

Fibers are fed to an elongated throat defined by two confronting surfaces, which move in generally opposite directions past said throat. A vacuum is produced behind each of said surfaces adjacent to said throat, whereby said fibers are twisted together at said throat to form a thread. Said thread is drawn off from said throat in a direction which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of said throat. Said thread is held against rotation as it is thus drawn off.

I United States Patent 1 [111 3,913,310 Fehrer Oct. 21, 1975 [54] METHOD OF SPINNING TEXTILE FIBERS 3,119,223 l/l964 Meimberg 57/50 3,210,923 /1965 Schlosser 57/58.95 [76] Inventor: EFnst Auf Gugl 3,330,008 7/1967 Schuller 57/58.91 x Austfla 3,343,360 9/1967 Brown 57/58.91

3,635,006 l/l972 Fehrer 57/50 [22] 1974 3,636,693 1/1972 Benson et al. 57/58.95 21 Appl. No: 517,934

Primary Examiner-John Petrakes Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 28, 1973 Austria 9997/73 [57] ABSTRACT [52] U S Cl 57/156 5.7/58 5.1/58 Fibers are fed to an elongated throat defined by two [51] i DOIH H confronting surfaces, which move in generally oppo- [58] Field 89 58 95 site directions past said throat. A vacuum is produced 157 I behind each of said surfaces adjacent to said throat, whereby said fibers are twisted together at said throat to form a thread. Said thread is drawn off from said [56] References cued throat in a direction which is substantially parallel to UNITED STATES PATENTS the longitudinal direction of said throat. Said thread is 2,258,66l 10/1941 Pool 57/55791'X held against rotation as it is thus drawn off. 2,732,682 l/1956 Kyame 57 58.91 2,808,697 10/1957 Williams 57/58.95 4 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure US. Patent Oct.2l, 1975 METHOD OF SPINNING TEXTILE FIBERS This invention relates to a method of spinning textile fibers, in which the fibers are fed in an airborne state or as sliver to a throat defined by two closely spaced, parallel suction drums or the like, which have mutually confronting suction zones which adjoin said throat.

In known processes of that kind, the two suction drums serve only to form finer slivers or laps or the like and the spinning operationpr'oper is subsequently performed by means of various other means. For this reason the slivers or the like are drawn off from the drums in the direction of conveyance thereof, transversely to the drum axes, and the drums rotate in mutually opposite senses, like two meshing gears. Because the function of the two suction drums is of minor significance for the spinning operation and additional means are required for the actual spinning, the overall structure is relatively complicated and has a restricted throughout rate.

In another known method, the fibers are blown into a hollow drum or the like, which rotates at high speed and in which the fibers under the action of centrifugal force initially collect at the inside periphery of the drum and from which they are centrally drawn off 'so as to form a thread and while being held against rotation. That method has mainly the disadvantage that the number of turns of the resulting thread per unit of time is limited by the speed of the drum or the like. For

structural reasons, this speed cannot exceed a certain limit so that the production rate is also limited because the speed at which the spun thread is drawn off cannot be increased unless the spinning speed is correspondingly increased.

Finally, a method has been disclosed in which individual fibers are blown into a shallow groove, which is formed on a deck, on which an endless belt revolves which extends transversely to the groove. In that case the fact is utilized that a fibrous structure can be twisted and spun between two surfaces moving relative to each other if the moving surfaces are succeeded by drawing-off means which continuously draw off the fibrous structure transversely to the direction of movement of the surfaces and holds the fibrous structure against rotation. The grooved deck and the endless belt transversely moving on the deck may be replaced by two parallel superimposed endless belts, which revolve in the same direction and whose mutually confronting courses constitute the two surfaces which move transversely to the longitudinal direction of the thread. In that case the material is fed at one longitudinal side of the belts and is drawn off through an eyelet or the like on the other longitudinal side. That method has the advantage that the fibers can be twisted together at high speed and for this reason can be drawn off at a higher speed because the thin thread rolls on the moving belt or belts are very small in diameter so that the belt speeds can well be controlled. On the other hand it has been found that it is difficult to provide a stream of air which is required to feed the fibers, that that air cannot be properly discharged and that the fibers in the groove of the deck or between the moving endless belts are virtually upset by the following-up air stream.

It is an object of the invention to eliminate these disadvantages and to provide a method which is of the kind described first hereinbefore and which enables a spinning at high twisting speeds and draw-off speeds whereas complicated apparatus is not required and there will be no difficulties due to an upsetting of fibers.

This object is accomplished according to' the invention in that the drums or the like rotate in the same sense so that the fibers are twisted together between the drums and the fibers are drawn off as a thread in known manner approximately parallel to the drums while being held against rotation. Because the space between the drums is adjoined by the suction zones the fibers in said space are sucked to the surfaces of the drums. Since the two suction drums rotate in the same sense, the surface of one drum moves toward the throat between the drums and the surface of the other drum moves away from the throat between the drums. For this reason the fibers in contact with the surfaces of the drums are twisted together as desired so that a spinning operation results when the twisted fibrous structure is subsequently drawn off parallel to the drums and held against rotation. The spinning operation proper is thus performed at the drums themselves and the advantage is afforded that no difficulty is involved in the discharge of any air which may be required for the conveyance of fibers and that the two streams of sucked air even promote the spinning operation. The suction drums need not rotate at an excessively high speed because the spinning speed depends on the rolling of the thin thread on the surfaces of the drum and is higher than the drum speed in dependence on the ratio of the drum diameter to the thread diameter.

If the fibers are fed in an airborne state, the stream of fibers will be directed to into the space between the drums approximately parallel to the plane defined by the two drum axes. If the fibers are fed as sliver, the same will be approximately tangentially delivered to that drum which rotates toward the throat between the drums. The use of drums is not essential because the shell of the drum might be replaced by a perforated endless belt, which is trained around reversing rollers or the like in such a manner that the belt defines a throat with an adjacent suction drum or with a second endless tape. It will be understood that the suction zones must adjoin said space.

Apparatus for carrying out the method according to the invention is shown strictly diagrammatically and by way of example on the accompanying drawing in a vertical sectional view.

The fibrous material is disintegrated into individual fibers, which are fed in an airborne state to the throat between closely spaced, parallel suction drums 1, 2. Each suction drum 1, 2 has a suction insert 3, 4, which defines a suction zone 5, 6 adjacent to the throat. The two suction drums l, 2 rotate in the same sense, which is indicated by the arrow. A pair of draw-off rolls 7 are provided near one end of the drums. The fibers impinge on the suction zones in a stream which is approximately at right angles to the plane that is defined by the two drum axes and are twisted together as a result of the rotation of the suction drums. By means of the pair of rolls 7 the twisted fibers are drawn off as a spun thread parallel to the drums l, 2.

What is. claimed is:

1. A method of spinning textile fibers, which comprises feeding fibers to an elongated throat defined by two confronting perforate surfaces which move in generally opposite directions past said throat,

producing a vacuum behind each of said surfaces adjacent to said throat, whereby said fibers are twisted together at said throat to form a thread,

drawing off said thread from said throat in a direction which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of said throat, and holding said thread against rotation as it is thus drawn off. 2. A method as set forth in claim 1, in which said fibers are fed into said throat in an airborne state.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1, in which said fiparallel to the axes of said drums. 

1. A method of spinning textile fibers, which comprises feeding fibers to an elongated throat defined by two confronting perforate surfaces which move in generally opposite directions past said throat, producing a vacuum behind each of said surfaces adjacent to said throat, whereby said fibers are twisted together at said throat to form a thread, drawing off said thread from said throat in a direction which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of said throat, and holding said thread against rotation as it is thus drawn off.
 2. A method as set forth in claim 1, in which said fibers are fed into said throat in an airborne state.
 3. A method as set forth in claim 1, in which said fibers are fed into said throat as sliver.
 4. A method as set forth in claim 1 which is carried out by apparatus in which each of said surfaces is formed by a suction drum, and said drums are parallel and closely spaced apart and contain a suction zone for producing said vacuum, in which method said drums are turned in the same sense, and said thread is drawn off from said throat substantially parallel to the axes of said drums. 